2017 Goals – Here’s what I’m aiming for this year

2016 was a pretty big year for me. I brought my baby home and my entire life changed. I had some wonderful successes and crazy difficult challenges, but that year is over and now we’re officially in 2017. Sure, I will still get the date wrong for a few days and weeks, but it’s a new year and with the days ahead there are some big things that I want to do.

But first, let me be clear – I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I hate the very idea. You can change your life at any time, any day. You can set new goals for yourself at any point, and changing your life shouldn’t be something you wait on for a specific day or time. That said, I have some goals that I want to reach this year, and I figure that sharing them with all of you will help me focus on those core things, as well as hold me accountable. Perhaps at the end of this year I can look back and assess how well I did. Now, each of these goals will be quite big, which means that there will be subgoals involved, too. Here goes…

2017 Goals – Emigrate to the States

Dean and I decided it’s time. There’re numerous reasons why we’re looking to move, but now that the decision is pretty much made, we need to start setting things in motion. As such, the subgoals are: sorting out everyone’s passports and visas; finding gainful employment in a part of the country we might enjoy; getting our cats ready to be shipped to a new country; packing up and selling our house; flying halfway around the world with a toddler; and then all the arrival and getting settled stuff when we get there. I’ve already gotten Harley pretty much organized, which I will tell you about tomorrow, so now it’s a matter of sorting out Dean’s visa and finding a job.

I really wish I could continue doing the job I love when we move. However, with the Rand/Dollar exchange rate what it is, I just can’t imagine that it will be as feasible. I will be very sad if/when I need to leave my job as it has been a dream job from the very start. However, if I want to make a new life for my family, Dean and I will both need to figure out our working situation on a new continent.

2017 Goals – Feel like myself again

I’m not just talking about losing weight, before this sounds like everyone ever on the first day of a new year. Yes, weight is a part of it – I’ve written before about how I would give myself a year before worrying about it, but how I was feeling overweight and underpowered. It’s important to me to be proud of who I am and where I am right now, and stop beating myself up about it, which is definitely something that I will do. That said, part of feeling better about myself will also be linked with feeling stronger, getting fit once again. I have started a fantastic program of the #YogaRevolution thanks to the awesome Cassey Toi inviting me and some other lovely ladies on twitter. When I am done with that, I will do the 30 Day Shred from Jillian Michaels. Between the two, I should hopefully be on the path of getting back some of the physical strength that I’ve lost.

But it’s more than that, I want to feel like myself mentally and emotionally once again. Lack of sleep and being jealous of my time hasn’t made me as good a person as I like to think that I am. I love my husband and my baby, but I’m also really looking forward to having my princess in nursery school next year so that I can have a few hours a day in my own head. It’s really important to me that I focus on myself again as well, that I remember what it’s like to think my own thoughts and just be in my own head. That should also hopefully make me more focused and attentive when I’m with Dean, Harley and our friends and family.

So, subgoals are officially: do the exercise programs that I think will work for me; make time for myself to think my own thoughts.

2017 Goals – Reconnect and grow

Looking at my assessment of last year, the things that brought me the most joy were when I was connected with other people. Having fun and wonderful moments, whether with Harley or friends or family or all of the above, those were my happiest memories from 2016. I wrote as a hope for this coming year that I would connect with people more, and it’s something that’s really important to me, both in my personal life and here on this blog.

As a result, my subgoals are: Make time to really connect with Dean, Harley and those close to us without everyday distractions (especially phone notifications) getting in the way; strive to contact those I care about at least once per week, or if it’s really crazy busy then once per month; produce regular content on my blog to help keep the community of awesome people who read my words up to date with our latest progress, thoughts and ideas, as well as hopefully hear more from you all here and on social media.

And that’s it!

I think there’s a tendency, or at least I feel like I have a tendency, to push for too much. I want to find success in my work, in my family, with my friends, with myself in all ways, all the time. However, looking at these three goals, there’s already so much there – so much to do, so many ways to do them. So, instead of bogging myself down with too many goals, I’m going to try and focus on these three elements. I think as they improve, everything else I might strive for will also be attained along the way.

What are your goals for 2017? Are there things you want that you’re not sure about how to attain, or do you have a clear idea what needs to be done to get where you want to be?